Marking of Plastic Explosives
do not inhibit its performance, fresh or not.
It is not inconceivable that terrorists
could “mature” plastic explosives to
reduce their vapour output; plasticity
would not be helped, especially in
materials where oil compounds are
added, as these would begin to dry, but
the explosive ingredients themselves take
a very long time to breakdown (or a very
short time if you stick a detonator in
them). The terrorist would need plenty of
patience, but who knows?
Homemade Explosives
A quick look at recent attacks suggests that
homemade explosives are as in vogue as
they have ever been. It’s not difficult to see
why when one looks at the performance of
TATP and the availability of the ingredients.
Semtex 1H showing shelf life (expired, but it will still work) So what does tagging add now?
Well, we know we are going to struggle
to persuade the opposition to add
Ironically it would only have been covered the potential for untagged plastic taggants to homemade explosives! A
by requirements in most countries, if it had explosives to be around for a long time. A shame really, because some homemade
been mixed with a plasticising agent at the big problem with tagging is that you can’t materials might benefit more in terms of
production stage, thus marginally reducing do it retrospectively. detectability than most plastic explosives.
its performance. Interestingly tagged plastic explosives There are still untagged plastic explosives
Then of course, there are other forms are a different matter in terms of shelf life around and if we are really honest, trace
which utilise RDX, HMX and PETN but would and here comes another problem. Because detection technology has moved on since
not be considered plastic explosives. So the the taggants are by nature volatile (they the UN Resolution.
regulations in any country would only affect give off vapour comparatively readily), this It might be interesting to determine to
a percentage of high performance materials means that eventually they have little what extent the addition of taggants and
available to the terrorist. vapour to give off. This can take a long therefore increased vapour, affects
time, but the plastic explosives need to be detection with our best and most under-
Shelf Life given a comparatively short shelf life. utilised vapour detectors – the ones with
There is a further problem: when we talk Sheet explosives generally need a shorter four legs, a wet nose and go “woof”. Given
about plastic explosives, generally we are shelf life than other forms, as they have the results dogs can produce with
referring to materials with excellent storage more surface area to give off vapour from. untagged explosives generally, it seems
characteristics. Given that manufacturers The reality is that the taggants make up a unlikely that tagged ones would make a
were faced with changing production very small percentage of the explosive and practical difference.
processes and, in some cases, having to
handle and add more toxic materials than
they had been using and still turn out a
product which looked the same and
performed in way their customers had
come to expect, in some cases over many
years, it was clear from the outset that the
requirements could not be met overnight.
One of the first companies off the
blocks, perhaps not surprisingly, was what
was then called Synthesia, now known as
Explosia. They are the manufacturers of
the Semtex range of products and the
indicated use of Semtex H (as it was then
known) in the Pan Am 103 device was a
key factor. This meant that whilst some
manufacturers were making pre-emptive
moves, it would be some years before
others followed. Leaving untagged
production to continue and with a very
long shelf life in some cases, this leaves Blade Linear Cutting charge using RDX-based plastic explosive
16 April 2008 Aviationsecurityinternational
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